


Trial By Media

by ssa_archivist



Category: Smallville
Genre: Drama, M/M, episode-related
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-01-06
Updated: 2004-01-06
Packaged: 2017-11-01 10:37:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/355697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ssa_archivist/pseuds/ssa_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clark enists Chloe's help to save his Lex.  Post-Shattered.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trial By Media

**Author's Note:**

> I was 5 pages into "Teacher's Pet," my CLFF fic for the 7th wave, when I realized it needed a backstory. Since "Teacher's Pet" is a first line challenge and there's nothing I suck at more than flashbacks, this story got itself written. It's based heavily off of the movie "Hackers" and the song lyrics below. 

## Trial By Media

by La Chatte Noire

<http://www.livejournal.com/users/lachattenoire13>

* * *

I've got one thing I must express  
We try our criminals in the press  
Justice is a fading light  
-Love is a Good Thing by Sheryl Crow 

"Teacher's Pet" will be posted after Jan 20. 

* * *

Clark Kent sat on the edge of his bed, head bowed, thinking. It was entirely unfair and not a little frightening that Lionel Luthor could do such a thing as declare his own son insane in order to save his own skin. The fact that Lionel could and would do such a thing did not bode well for those who had helped Lex in his time of need, mainly himself and Chloe. Without Lex there was nothing stopping Lionel from destroying Smallville. Without Lex there was nothing between Chloe and Lionel's wrath. Without Lex there was nothing between Lionel and Clark's secrets. 

Clark put his head in his hands to block out everything but his thoughts. He knew Lionel. He knew him a little too well. Lionel would never destroy evidence, even evidence against him. And Clark knew where such evidence would be held. Also, there was a little matter of Darius' confession. Since Darius had given a confession there was nothing stopping Clark from typing the older man's statement up and either making him sign it or, with his abilities, signing it with an exact forgery. And he could find out where to find any other information he might need. 

Clark sat up with a determined glint in his eye. He knew what he had to do. 

* * *

Clark threw open the doors of the Torch office. "Chloe, you in here?" 

"Ah, Mr. Kent, come in." 

Clark stiffened as he turned toward the source of the voice. "Mr. Luthor, I apologize. I was not expecting--" 

Lionel Luthor waved his hand to silence Clark. "No need for an apology, Mr. Kent. I have come to talk to you about Lex." 

Clark acted surprised. "You have? How is he? Will he be alright? When can I see him again? What have you done to him?" The last question slipped out before Clark could stop it. 

Lionel stopped blinking at the accusation and stared at Clark. "And what makes you think I have done something to him, young man?" 

Clark stared back. "In all the time I watched Lex fall I never had a reason to rule you out as a cause." 

Lionel cocked his head. "You believe the rantings of an insane man over the logic and compassion of myself?" 

Clark glared. "Someone once said `There is no line between genius and insanity.' I happen to believe that person." He turned to leave, to find Chloe. As he opened the door he looked back. "Also, if you loved your son in any way you would not be referring to him in such a heartless manner." He slammed the door. 

He found Chloe later that day in a back table at the Talon. She was hiding behind a lukewarm cup of coffee, glancing nervously at shadows. She jumped as he sat down next to her. 

"Jesus Clark, don't scare me like that." 

Clark set his backpack on the table to muffle their conversation from anyone who might be listening. "Sorry Chloe, but I need to talk to you. Can we go someplace private? Where no one can listen in?" 

Chloe shook her head. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "At home I found a tiny listening device in my bedroom. Somebody went into my bedroom and planted bugs. There's nowhere I can go. They know everything. Everything." 

Clark wrapped his arms around her as she hid in his shoulder. "Shh. Don't worry. I'll take care of it. I'll take care of it all." 

Chloe pulled away from him. "How? It's Lionel doing it all, I know it. There's no way to stop him. Look at what he did to Lex, Clark. We helped him to stay out of there. Clark, Lionel's going to do the same to us. He's going to get rid of us the same way." 

Clark held her close, both for comfort and to keep his voice low. "He won't. I won't let him. Not without a fight. Chloe, he's not going to take us down without a fight. I will not fall without taking him with me." 

She looked up at him. "How? What can we do?" 

He looked down at her. "We kept Lex out for as long as we did. That has to count for something. And now we'll be working harder, because it's ourselves we're saving. We'll fight to the death and beyond if we have to, but he is not going to take us without destroying himself in the process." He paused. "Chloe, how are you at hacking?" 

* * *

Clark and Chloe stood in her room. Chloe dug around for a book as Clark looked around, scanning the room. He shivered at the sheer number of cameras and listening devices hidden in light fixtures, wall sockets, stuffed animals, even her computer. He looked back at her as she dug around the recesses of her closet. Even the closet was filled with electronics. She had actually pulled out 7 bugs in her search, 3 that she noticed and 4 that she didn't. 

Clark's concentration broke as she gave a loud "Ah-Hah!" and handed him a book, hidden within a paper-bag book cover and about 3 rolls of scotch tape. On the cover was a crude drawing of a computer. He looked at it. "Nice art." 

Chloe hit him lightly. "I'm a reporter, not an artist." She leaned in close to him, whispering in his ear. "It's a good thing I made that book cover when I first bought the book. I taped the whole thing closed last spring before Lionel first approached me and it hasn't been disturbed since. There's no way to even find out what book it is without tearing the cover apart." 

Clark nodded and X-rayed the book. The Hacker's Handbook. He nodded. "I can't thank you enough." 

Chloe nodded, then patted the book. "This'll teach you the basics. The rest you gotta learn. I've got the laptop so when you've learned the book you can live it. To get good enough for what you're suggesting you need speed, agility, and a lot of practice. I'll help you there, but there's only so much we can do. I don't think you'll be at the level you'll need to be at for years, but it's worth a shot. It's probably time I get back into it as well, it's been awhile since I've really tested my skills. Maybe if you learn enough we can put our skills together and take this thing." 

Clark nodded and opened the door to leave. He grinned. "Thanks for the yoga book Chloe. See you for practice, when, tonight?" 

Chloe nodded. "That sounds good. I'll meet you there." As he left she decided she'd groan and snicker at his yoga comment later. 

* * *

Clark searched the barn for anything remotely suspicious. He pulled 22 bugs out of various hiding spots in the loft, the stables, and the rafters. He smashed the cameras to dust and incinerated the rest. He set up his computer at the desk in the loft, plugging it into a generator filled with fresh gasoline. 

Chloe walked up. "Hey Clark. Are you ready for some `yoga?'" She tried not to snicker. 

Clark quickly placed his hand over her mouth to silence her. He put his finger to his lips and removed his hand. "Sure, why not. I got the floor cleared and everything. I have the generator ready for the stereo." 

Chloe nodded. "Why not just use batteries or run an extension cord from the house?" 

Clark scanned her. He pulled her backpack off and began pulling everything out. "Nah. We're out of D cells and my parents won't let me run an extension cord from the house anymore." He pulled out of the lining two listening devices. Chloe's eyes got wide. He started searching the rest of her stuff, methodically finding bugs and pulling them out of their hiding places. 

"Geez Clark, what did you do?" She watched as he somehow looked at things and pulled out bug after bug as though he could see them. 

Clark finished going through her stuff and looked at her, pulling two out of her hair and one out her bracelet. He scanned her over once and nodded, seeing nothing else. "Oh I left something on out here once. Ran up the electric bill something fierce." He took the small pile of bugs and destroyed them one by one. As he destroyed the last one he looked up at her. "So, are you ready?" 

Clark crushed the last one. He sighed in relief, sinking to the floor. "Ok, they're gone. We're truly alone now." 

Chloe looked at him. "How?" She backed away in fear. "You're not working with them are you?" 

He looked up at her as she backed up to the stairs. "Chloe, how could you think that?" 

She began to shake. "Because the only way those people could have gotten in and bugged so much of my room and my stuff is if someone I know was working with them. Someone like my dad. Someone like you." 

Clark rose up onto his knees. "Chloe, how could you think that? Lex is my best friend." 

"And he's Lionel's son." She bolted down the stairs. 

Clark sighed and supersped after her. He caught her as she reached the bottom stair. "Chloe, listen to me. I do not work for Lionel." 

Chloe started beating her fists against him. "Let me go you self-serving freak!" 

Clark wrapped his arms tighter around her, picking her up, and ran. She screamed in his ear for two seconds as he sped to Crater Lake. On the dock he set her down. "Go ahead, we're still alone and my parents can't walk in on our conversation now. Ask me anything." 

Chloe looked up at him. "What the fuck are you?!" 

Clark bowed his head. "I'm not human. I never was. My ship crash-landed here during the meteor shower. I was alone, I was a child, I took the form of a human. The Kents adopted me in an illegal adoption arranged by Lionel Luthor. In return my dad convinced the Rosses to sell the creamed corn plant. The meteor rocks are all that remains of my home planet. Members of my race have landed here before, hence the caves and the Indian legends. The drifter that played a part in Lana's great aunt's death was my father. I'm strong, I'm fast, I can see through things, I can set fires with my eyes, and I get all these powers from the sun. The English translation for my planet's name was Krypton. Dr. Swann wanted to talk to me because my biological parents sent a message with me. He caught it, managed to translate it, and wanted to meet the being it spoke of." 

Chloe stared as Clark finished and bowed his head, waiting for an answer. Finally she found her own voice. "It's true, isn't it? You really are an alien." 

Clark nodded. 

Her eyebrows hit her hairline. "Umm..." She paused. "This is what it takes to render me speechless, I guess." 

Clark looked at her and offered a weak smile. "Are we still friends?" 

Chloe looked at him. "Does Lex know?" 

He nodded. "He's been studying me for awhile. I wanted him to stop, but I know he didn't. He saw me in Metropolis right before they took him away. I stood in front of a speeding car, the car that had Edge in it. He hit me at some insane speed and the car kinda crumpled around me. Lex started screaming at me, about how I wasn't even human. Then they came to take him and I panicked. I ran. I left him there, Chloe. I was afraid. If I had had time to think about it I would have stayed. I would have taken him with me. He wouldn't be in there if I hadn't run away." He sat down on the dock and put his head in his hands. He held down a sob. 

She scooted next to him. "Shh, it's ok. You didn't know it was going to happen this way." 

"Yeah, well what kind of an alien am I that I didn't know?" 

Chloe smiled wanly. "One who doesn't watch enough bad sci-fi movies." 

Clark looked at her with tear stained eyes. His tear tracks were noticeably blue in color. He grinned through his tears before sobbing again and wrapping his arms around her. She held him as he cried out the fear of her rejection, his fear for Lex, for her, for himself. He cried out his frustration at being forced to live on a planet where its inhabitants were so heartless as to destroy their own children to preserve their image. He cried out his sorrow at not being able to save Lex, to save anybody really. He cried and cried until the entire front of Chloe's blouse was stained blue with his tears. He took a shaky breath and looked up at her. "We have to do this. We have to save him." 

Chloe nodded and stroked his head. "We will, Clark. We'll save him. We'll destroy Lionel." She paused. "Out of curiosity, how long do you think it'll take you to read that book?" 

Clark smiled. "I've already read it. Twice. I can recite it if you like." 

Chloe was taken aback. "We might be able to pull this off after all. Come on, let's get started." 

Clark watched as she stood up. "Wait, so you're ok with this?" 

She grabbed is hand and tried to pull him up. "Come on Spaceboy. The night is young. Time to do some good here." 

Clark grinned. Yeah, he thought, she's ok with this. He picked her up and sped back to the barn. They set up their computers and Clark's training began. 

* * *

Music pounded in the loft as Clark and Chloe sat side by side, both typing furiously. They were both connected to the internet through Chloe's wireless card. They reached their testing ground and Chloe held Clark back from starting, turning to him. "Ok, this wireless card has a known IP address. That means that Lionel is going to be able to track everywhere we go and everything we do with it. That's why we're starting off small. If you're anywhere near as fast on the keyboard as you are on foot then these drills will be a piece of cake, but remember, Lionel is watching so stay at a slow speed." 

Clark nodded. "How slow do you need me to go?" 

"The speed of a fast human, but keep it human." 

Clark nodded as she pointed to the screen, signaling him to begin. 

In two minutes he had broken into the campus network at Met U. Chloe looked it over. "Good, good. Now, find a computer without a firewall." 

Within 5 seconds he had found over a thousand such computers. Chloe silently picked one for the drill. Clark began. 

In a random dorm room on the Met U campus, a random student's hard drive crashed for no known reason. The student grumbled about the hackers living in the building and began putting his computer back together. 

Chloe grinned. "Not bad for a first try. You can go a little faster than that. Ok, now find a computer with a simple firewall." 

Again Clark began the drill. 

In another dorm room another student's hard drive crashed. The student watched as her computer finally died, then celebrated the excuse to ditch the old hunk of junk and buy a new one. 

Chloe nodded. "Good. Ok, now then, pull out of the network and get offline." She waited as Clark did as she asked. "Ok, can you tell me what you did different with each computer?" 

Clark explained the back door problem with many computers. 

Chloe nodded again. "Ok, now that flaw is a good trick to know, but it's not always useful. When working with personal computers and small networks, the tricks you used for the firewall will always give results. However, when hacking the planet you'll need slightly different tricks. You'll need the network to think you're supposed to be there." She stopped as she looked at her watch. "It's late and I promised my dad I'd be home in about 10 minutes, so let's stop here for tonight. We can continue tomorrow night. Tomorrow we're going to watch a movie that'll give you an idea of what effect we're going for. Oh, you'll need to come up with a name for yourself. Every hacker has a name so we can address each other without knowing who we are and so anyone who catches us on the internet will have that much more work to find us in real life. I'll see you tomorrow, Clark." 

Clark nodded and looked at his computer. He saw the unassuming desktop, the dull icons, the circuits, the wires, even the case itself as an entrance to a whole world just waiting to be explored. 

The power was frightening. And Clark loved it. 

* * *

It was two weeks later when Clark surpassed Chloe in skill. They began learning together, working off her wireless card and nearly getting caught once too many times. After their latest brush with fate Lionel Luthor got nervous. He decided to set into motion a plan of his own. 

* * *

Clark ran down the steps the morning after Lionel's plans began. He was greeted by Sheriff Nancy. "Hello Mr. Kent. How has school been?" 

Clark eyed her, hiding his caution. "Just fine Sheriff. Anything I can do for you?" 

"Actually, yes. I was given an anonymous tip about a hacker in the area, maybe two. You wouldn't know anything about this would you?" 

Clark shook his head. "No ma'am. I try to stay away from computers and their geeks." 

Sheriff Nancy gave him a look. "And why is that Clark?" 

"Oh, it's nothing like that. It's just that I have a habit of typing two keys and having the thing crash on me. People know that. It's embarrassing to walk around school and have people laughing behind your back. I mean, computers are supposed to be the field of the new century and all that hoopla." 

She nodded her head. "Yeah, I can understand that. My neighbor has a grandkid I have come by to fix my computer when it crashes. Well, I'm off. Good bye." She left. 

Clark sighed in relief, dropping his books on the floor. He looked around at his parents. "Um, can we not discuss this here? How about the loft?" 

Jonathan and Martha glared at him. Martha spoke up. "Now what was that all about? Sheriff Nancy had evidence that you're the hacker." 

Clark sighed again and picked up his parents. He sped out to the loft and put them down on the couch. He stood in front of them. "Now I can tell you. But first, I request I be able to tell the whole story without interruption." When he didn't get an answer he started anyway. 

Clark talked about how Lex was framed, about telling Chloe his secret, about the bugs all over the house and the town, and about becoming a hacker. When he stopped he started pacing. He stopped in mid step as his father was gathering a breath for one of the biggest, loudest lectures he had ever yelled when Clark bolted out of the barn. 

Jonathan and Martha had exactly enough time to look at each other before Clark reappeared, Chloe in tow. 

Chloe was ranting. "God damnit Clark, the sheriff was bugging my dad when I left. I had to climb out the goddamn window to make it to school. They were talking about us, Clark." 

Clark nodded. "I know. The sheriff came here, too. I think I threw her of my trail for the time being, but the fact remains we've been found. We've got to get out of here. Maybe you can--" 

Clark cut her off with a hand over her mouth. He looked at his parents and pulled a bug out of his mother's blouse. He held it up and crushed it in front of their eyes. "That, Mom, was a bug planted by Lionel Luthor's men when no one was watching. They know the truth now. We've got about 6 hours to get what needs to be gotten and another twelve to do what needs to be done." 

Chloe looked at Clark's fingers. "Oh shit. We're dead, aren't we?" 

Clark shrugged. "We were dead the moment we decided to help Lex. We're still dead, but now we're taking them down with us." 

Chloe nodded grimly. She hugged a stunned Martha, then a furious Jonathan. "We'll come back when it's safe." 

Clark hugged his mom then moved to hug his dad. Jonathan stopped him. "What exactly are you doing?" 

Clark shrugged. "You might as well know. Lionel Luthor's going to try to destroy us. To save ourselves we're going to have to destroy him. Wish us luck." 

Martha nodded. Jonathan remained as astute as before. Clark showed nothing more than a look of grim acceptance as he picked Chloe up and ran with her. In a gust of wind they were gone. 

Jonathan stared at the spot they had occupied. "Good luck." He pulled Martha close and sighed. 

* * *

That night found Clark sneaking into Lionel Luthor's office via the window. He knew Lionel was just the type of rat to keep all evidence gathered, even evidence against himself. Now all Clark had to do was find it. 

The guards posted outside the office door never noticed a thing until the sounds of the door of the vault being torn away shocked them out of their late-night daydreams. They saw nothing but a blur as something gathered up everything inside the vault, whether it had value or not, and jumped out the window. The guards watched as the figure leapt from the window to the rooftop of the Daily Planet building. They looked each other in the eye. The Urban Legend had returned. 

* * *

Clark dumped his loot on the dingy bed of the tiny apartment he and Chloe were renting. Clark had gone ATM-hopping, just like the old days of summer. They had enough money for three month's rent and had already stocked the apartment with enough technology to control a shuttle flight. They had ditched Chloe's old wireless card for a pair of new IP addresses. They had the expertise, the technology, now all they needed was the evidence. 

Chloe sifted through the not-so-small pile of videotapes and expensive trinkets Clark had lifted from LuthorCorp. She collected no less that 11 videotapes. "Well, let's get watching." 

* * *

They had the videotape of Morgan Edge, but it wasn't enough. 

Clark sat on the bed and growled. "We need more than this. This'll get him for his parents, if we're lucky, but not for Lex. All we really have is our word against his about that and who's really gonna believe a pair of hackers anyway?" 

Chloe started saying something but Clark didn't hear her. He gave an evil open-mouthed smile and zipped to one of the computers. He began typing up a confession. 

Chloe glared at him and walked over to stand behind him. "So, what's this?" 

Clark continued to type. "When I went to the mansion for answers that time I got a confession out of Darius, you know, the security guy? He pointed out that the drug had been in the scotch. Also, when Lex and I went to confront Edge about the drug he basically confessed in front of me the symptoms of the drug, why it was being done, and that it was Lionel's idea. The first one we'll have to forge if we use it but the second will pull some pretty heavy weight. We might not even need the first one since Lex got the idea to go to Edge from Lionel." 

Chloe grinned and slapped him on the back. "I knew there was a reason I keep making you watch those sci-fi movies." 

Clark grinned. "Chloe, this isn't alien mind control. This is just plain old genius kicking in." 

"Yeah, yeah, bite me Spaceboy." 

* * *

Clark typed furiously as Chloe put on a ski mask and the voice synthesizer. She got everything adjusted then turned to him. "How are we doing?" She sounded like a mixture of every James Bond ever. 

Clark sighed as his finger sped over the keyboard. Network after network fell to his will as he typed. "I've got the entire Eastern Seaboard and the BBC. I'm working on the Midwest now." 

Chloe sighed. "We're tryin' the hack the planet, Spaceboy. Fuck the individual networks. Get the hub. Get the satellite network." 

Clark switched gears. "Yes ma'am." 

"And fuck humanity. Use that speed of yours." 

Clark's fingers blurred until they could no longer be seen. A few more minutes... 

He did a little dance. "I've got it. Are you ready?" 

Chloe sat in a chair before a bare, windowless wall. She held her evidence close. "Start the upload." 

Every television set, every radio, every computer connected to the internet in the world went blank. Screens flickered for a moment before going blank and being replaced with Morgan Edge. 

"It had been decided. Lionel and I would knock off his deadbeat father and gin-soaked mother with the blessings of the crime lord. He split the insurance money with us and took us under his wing." 

The tape stopped and Chloe came into focus, hidden by the mask and the James Bond voice. "Before he started LuthorCorp, Lionel Luthor was the son of a poor Scottish immigrant. Lachlan Luthor was forced to make deals with the crime lords of Metropolis to survive, but with those connections came enemies. Enemies that included his own son. 

"As revealed by the late Morgan Edge in the video you just saw, he and Lionel made a deal with the crime lord of the time to murder Lionel's parents. They succeeded. The elder Luthors died in an ammonium nitrate explosion that took out the entire city block for good measure. Lionel Luthor was out at the time, moonlighting at a print shop three miles away. 

"The LuthorCorp empire began in a crime against family. It didn't stop there. When Lex Luthor broke away from LuthorCorp 18 months ago to found LexCorp, Lionel was furious." Chloe held up Clark's confession. "This written statement from one of Lex's friends describes how Lex's private office was bugged with listening devices. It has not been proven if Lionel Luthor was in fact the perpetrator, but circumstantial evidence does suggest it. LuthorCorp outbid LexCorp at every contract offered to both companies during that time period. But it doesn't stop there. 

"Lex's most recent marriage ended in tragedy, ending up with Lex spending three months marooned on a deserted island in the Caribbean. The black box from plane flight, the agenda, and the location of the island all prove that the crash leading to Lex's maroon was no accident." Chloe held up a picture of Helen and Lionel talking. "The bride, Ms. Helen Bryce, was seen talking with Lionel only three months before the wedding. Ms. Bryce's bank account mysteriously swelled after that meeting. 

"As most people probably know, Lex was found. When he confronted his father with this evidence, Lex was led to believe that Ms. Bryce worked alone. The black box from the plane flight for their second honeymoon attempt does prove that she had attempted to kill him but it also implies that she was not working alone, that she had orders to kill him. 

"Once he returned, Lex merged his company back into LuthorCorp. Lionel Luthor immediately ordered a psychiatric evaluation done on his son, done by a psychologist chosen from a pool of LuthorCorp employees. This psychologist, a Dr. Foster, immediately refused to certify Lex as sane, as per Lionel's orders. Dr. Foster's bank account also swelled unusually at this time. 

At this time Lex learned of his grandparent's murder for the first time and resolved to find the killer." She held up Clark's confession again, turned to a different page. "This written statement describes how the witness watched and listened as the late Morgan Edge revealed the details of his plan, the hallucinogenic drug planted in Lex's drink for, the plans to use the resulting paranoia as grounds for a psychotic break and institutionalization." She held up Darius's confession. "This written statement describes how the drug was planted. Lex was institutionalized. The institution, Belle Reve outside of Metropolis, recently accepted a multi-million dollar contribution from LuthorCorp. 

"Lionel Luthor drugged and institutionalized his own son. He has destroyed his own child in an attempt to cover his own guilty tracks. How can a man who thinks so little of his own parents, of his own son, think anything of the people he employs, of the people who depend on him to survive? I ask you, is this the man we want controlling our industry? Is LuthorCorp the company we want controlling our lives?" 

Chloe sat back as Clark terminated the link. He pulled out of the networks, out of the satellite hub, then unplugged their own little network from the internet. He sat back and gasped for air. 

Chloe looked back at him. "Did we get it?" 

Clark nodded. "It's all out. It worked. It really worked. We did it." 

Chloe smiled as she unhooked the voice synthesizer and took off the ski mask. "Now all we have to do is hope." 

Clark gave her an exhausted look. "Hope we're not dead. Hope we didn't just kill Lex. Hope they never find us." 

Chloe placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry Clark, even if they do catch us now, Lionel is dead. He has been found guilty in the court of the media." 

* * *

Several days later the Daily Planet splashed a front page article about the release of Lex from Belle Reve and the treachery of Lionel Luthor. The article made mentions of evidence collected by somebody known only as "The Hacker." It continued to talk about Lex and the revenge he would take. Lex answered that all he wanted was LexCorp back with the company's original assets and for Lionel to "leave me the -deleted- alone." 

* * *

Clark and Chloe packed up their belongings and looked around at the technology filling their living room. Clark tossed a shirt into his box. "So what do we do with the setup?" 

Chloe shrugged. "We can't just leave it here, too incriminating." 

Clark put his hands on his hips. "We can't take it home, it's not safe." 

"We can't return it because about half of it you stole and the other half came from your ATM money." 

Clark shook his head. "It seems a crime to destroy it." 

"I've got a warehouse floor full of stuff like this. It'd go well there." 

Clark and Chloe turned in shock and fear at the voice in the doorway. They both visibly relaxed to see Lex standing there. Clark leapt over his box and picked Lex up into a hug, laughing. Lex smiled as he looked at Clark. "Thanks, by the way." 

Clark hugged Lex tighter. "It was nothing." 

Chloe laughed. "It was a whole shitload of nothing, Clark. I'm surprised we didn't get ourselves killed. You know, Lionel probably knows who we are." 

Lex pulled out of Clark's arms a little bit. "Yes, he does. However, revealing who you are would force him to admit how he found out." 

Chloe shrugged. "And of course he doesn't exactly want to reveal his less-than-legal methods for that info." 

Clark shook his head. "No, his reputation is tarnished enough. Speaking of which, what's going to happen now?" 

Lex sighed. "The US Attorney threw out all the evidence you collected because it was, and I quote, `collected by a person of questionable allegiance, questionable intent, and as such is of questionable reliability.' I'm lucky they're not going to throw me back in right away." 

Clark pulled completely away from Lex. He started pacing. "Wait, what do you mean `right away?'" 

Lex shrugged. "They're taking blood tests to figure out what kinds of drugs I was on and they're going to be doing blood tests on a majority of the patients, especially those who were committed under questionable circumstances. However, Father and the government all agree that I should be observed, just in case the psychotic break was real." 

"I'm sorry, Lex." 

Lex looked at Clark, then Chloe. "I refused to be taken back into an institution. I told them that I developed a slight fear of psychiatry in general, so they're going to let me be observed while doing a job of some sort." 

Chloe looked at Clark. "Why does that sound like lawyer-speak?" 

"It is lawyer-speak. Basically I have to talk in front of people to prove I'm sane. I, uh, chose teaching." 

Chloe giggled. "Can you teach, Lex?" 

He shrugged. "I guess I'll have to find out." 

End 


End file.
